Appliances: To repair or not to repair?

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Appliances: To repair or not to repair?

by Patricia Mayville-Cox (Subscribe to Patricia Mayville-Cox's posts)
Feb 22nd 2008 @ 1:01PM

Filed under: Home

Seems like fewer and fewer things are being repaired these days. Appliances are no exception.

So how do you know when an appliance is worth repairing, besides factoring in the cost of the repair? Another factor to consider is the fact that newer appliances are much more energy efficient than older ones.

Here are some general rules when faced with a broken home appliance:

Clothes dryers: Replace if it is older than 15 years.
Refrigerator: Replace if pre-2001
Dishwasher: Replace if pre-1994
Air conditioners: For both window and central air, replace if it is more than 10 years old.
Washers: Replace top loaders pre-2005.

For more tips and details, especially regarding what to look for if you do need to replace, see more by Anne Colvey here.

Comments [3]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-22-2008 @ 5:15PM

Rex said...

It's best to repair it even if it is older. If it is perfectly fine and isn't prohibitively expensive to repair versus replacing you should just repair. It saves on how much ends up in landfills and saves on resources required to build the new one which includes mining and transportation. There is no reason to replace something just because it is older than a certain age. Replace it because it is too costly to repair or it just doesn't suit your needs anymore.

2-22-2008 @ 5:11PM

Phil L. said...

Agreed: "General" rules don't cut it for repair/replace decisions.

And don't forget the DIY factor: There's an amazing breadth of on-line info for parts and procedures. I've tackled a number of appliance repair projects for myself and friends. Parts cost is a fraction of what you'll pay just for a repair technician to look at it (not to mention the emissions of his truck), plus I'm keeping lots of stuff out of landfills.

And beware of following the latest trends that appear to be green: Try Googling "front loader washer mold mildew". Did you know many front-load washer manufacturers recommend monthly empty cycles with pricey chemicals to prevent internal mold and mildew problems? And some well-know front loader brands have atrocious repair records. How green is that?

2-24-2008 @ 3:13PM

Phil L. said...

Hmmm - My post above was a follow-on to a prior post. That is now gone. C'mon Greendaily - consistent posting software isn't rocket science...

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